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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28270524">last christmas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/specialagentsergio/pseuds/specialagentsergio'>specialagentsergio</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, just a lil bit of angst but with a happy ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:27:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,271</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28270524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/specialagentsergio/pseuds/specialagentsergio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You and Emily have been in a long-distance relationship since she moved to London. She can’t wait to see you for the holidays–that is, until you say, “we need to talk.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Emily Prentiss/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>75</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>last christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Emily had forgotten how miserable flying commercial could be. But she couldn’t really justify using one of Interpol’s private jets for a personal trip, so here she was, frantically gathering her belongings off of the belt as she tries not to hold up the line behind her at the security checkpoint.</p>
<p>She shakes her head in disbelief as she sits at a bench and pulls her boots back on. To think that you’ve been doing this every other month and haven’t complained once! And it’s not a short flight, either—it takes eight hours to fly from D.C. to London. Yet every time you’ve made the trip, you’ve only expressed excitement over seeing her.</p>
<p>She’s excited, too, of course, but she’s also nervous. Right before you’d gotten off the phone with her last night, you’d said, “I really can’t wait to see you, Em. We need to talk, in person.”</p>
<p>
  <em>We need to talk. </em>
</p>
<p>In Emily’s experience, that sentence has never led to something good. She’s been trying to talk herself down ever since. Surely you wouldn’t invite her out to spend the holidays with you just to break up with her. But then again, maybe you feel that you have to do it that way, that doing it over a video call was too impersonal. She really isn’t sure what to think.</p>
<p>If she’s honest, she’s actually surprised you’re still together at all. Not that she doesn’t love you—she absolutely does, and you’ve said it many times in return. She had just expected you to break it off when she made the decision to move to London.</p>
<p>You didn’t know all the details about what happened with Doyle; you’d met after her return. But you knew enough, knew that she had had to fake her own death and hide out overseas, disconnected and away from everyone she knew and loved. And you had watched as being back in D.C. became a struggle for her. When she told you about the job offer, you had encouraged her to take it.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Emily had sighed, pressing her forehead to yours. “I didn’t want us to end.”</p>
<p>“Who says we have to?” you’d asked. “I’m prepared and willing to do long-distance if you are.”</p>
<p>And that had been that. You had talked or video chatted at least five nights a week, and even had a standing virtual dinner date for Fridays. Her job made it difficult to travel for personal reasons, so you had flown to her (although she had insisted on paying for the ticket and always made sure you were in business class).</p>
<p>Long-distance wasn’t easy—she much preferred to have you in her arms. But, you’d made it work, and successfully if did she said so herself. She loved you just as much as the day she got on the plane to London, if not more.</p>
<p>And you loved her back... right?</p>
<p>If you’d asked her two days ago, she would have been confident in that. Now? Not so much.</p>
<p>Emily picks at her nails for almost the entire time she’s waiting at the airport terminal to board her flight. <em>We need to talk</em>, you’d said.</p>
<p><em>I don’t want to lose you</em>, her heart whispers back.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It’s Rossi’s Christmas Eve party. Emily watches you from across the room as you chat with Morgan and Reid. You look absolutely gorgeous in a red dress, white tights on underneath to keep your legs warm in the chilly weather.</p>
<p>You haven’t been acting any differently than normal. You had greeted her at the airport last night with such a big hug and kiss that it drew a few “aww”’s from passersby. Every time you catch her looking at you, you smile brightly back. You’d cuddled up to her in your usual position when you went to sleep last night.</p>
<p>If Emily were a bit braver, she might bring up your previous conversation and ask what you wanted to talk about. But she can’t bring herself to do it. If you <em>are</em> planning to end things, she wants to soak in as much of you as possible before it.</p>
<p>JJ comes up to her side, touching her arm lightly to draw her attention away from you. “Okay, Emily,” she says. ‘What’s going on?”</p>
<p>It’s Christmas Eve and she doesn’t want to spoil the mood, so she says, “It’s nothing.”</p>
<p>“You keep picking at your nails,” JJ points out gently. “It’s something.”</p>
<p>Emily makes a noise of annoyance. “You know, I think I preferred it when you weren’t a profiler.”</p>
<p>JJ chuckles. “Oh, I’ve heard that before.” She nudges Emily with her elbow. “Come on, tell me what’s up. I want to help.”</p>
<p>“Alright,” she sighs. “It’s (Y/N). She hasn’t been acting any differently, but a few days ago, on the phone... Jayje, she said <em>we need to talk.</em>”</p>
<p>“Ah.” JJ tilts her head to the side. “Well, that’s necessarily a bad thing.”</p>
<p>“When has it <em>not </em>been, in your experience?”</p>
<p>“I said that to Will during our case in Miami, back before Henry.”</p>
<p>Emily frowns. “You also broke up with him.”</p>
<p>“For like, <em>one day</em>,” JJ protests. “And now look at us.” She holds up her left hand, showing off her wedding ring.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it worked out for you,” Emily admits. “That doesn’t mean it will for me.”</p>
<p>“Well, I think—”</p>
<p>“Mommy!” Henry comes running up and tugs on JJ’s hand. “Can we go home and get ready for Santa now?”</p>
<p>JJ checks the time. “Ooh, you’re right. It is time for us to go. Go find Daddy. I’ll be right behind you.”</p>
<p>“Okay! Bye, auntie Emily!” Henry waves and Emily waves back.</p>
<p>“Bye, Henry.”</p>
<p>He scurries off, but JJ doesn’t follow immediately; instead, she looks back to Emily. “For what it’s worth, I think everything’s going to be fine,” she says.</p>
<p>To Emily’s surprise, the sentiment makes her feel a bit better. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>After saying goodbye to JJ, she looks back to where she last saw you. You aren’t there anymore but she barely has time to wonder where you’ve gone off to before you appear at her side. You take her wrist in your hand and tug on it gently. “Come with me.”</p>
<p>You guide her through a few rooms and into a secluded hallway. You’re hiding something in your left hand, keeping it out of her view. When you stop, you turn towards her and a shy smile spreads across your face.</p>
<p>“What... what have you got there, honey?” Emily asks.</p>
<p>You sway from one foot to the other. “Oh, nothing much.” Then you raise your hand above her head and she looks up to see—</p>
<p>“Mistletoe,” she says, surprise coloring her tone.</p>
<p>“Mm-hmm. And you know what that means.”</p>
<p>She does know, but she can’t resist this opportunity to tease you. “Actually, I’m not familiar with it. Could you explain it to me?”</p>
<p>You drop your hand and roll your eyes. “Just shut up and kiss me, Emily.”</p>
<p>She feigns a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, if you insist.”</p>
<p>Emily takes your face in her hands and pulls you into a kiss. She tries to communicate all her feelings through it—her adoration, her happiness, her appreciation. Most of all, she pours all of her love into it.</p>
<p>You’re a little dazed when she pulls away; the mistletoe has slipped from your fingers onto the floor. “Oh, wow, Em,” you whisper.</p>
<p>“I don’t want this to be our last Christmas together,” she says, then winces a bit. “God, that was cheesy. But it’s true.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want it to be, either,” you reply. “Where is this coming from?”</p>
<p>Emily blinks. “Wha—you said that we needed to talk on the phone the other day!”</p>
<p>You giggle. “I didn’t mean it in bad way, dummy.”</p>
<p>“What do you <em>mean, </em>you didn’t mean it in a bad way! What else was I supposed to think?” The words just tumble out of her mouth. “You’re not seriously telling me I’ve been worried for <em>days </em>for no reas—”</p>
<p>“Shh,” you interrupt, placing your finger on her lips. “I’m sorry I made you worry. But what I want to talk about is a good thing.” You pause. “At least, I hope so.”</p>
<p>“Okay, apology accepted,” she sighs. “What’s this good thing you want to discuss?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I can’t tell you that yet,” you say, the corners of your mouth pulling up in a smile. “It’ll ruin the surprise.”</p>
<p>“Now that’s just cruel,” Emily grumbles.</p>
<p>“It is not!” you protest. “I just don’t want to spoil one of your presents.”</p>
<p>She purses her lips. “You’re really pushing it tonight.”</p>
<p>“It’s only one night, Em. It’ll make sense tomorrow.” You tuck some of her hair behind her ear. “Now, do you think we’ve been here long enough for it to be socially acceptable for us to leave?”</p>
<p>“I think so. JJ has already left so we wouldn’t be the first.”</p>
<p>“Perfect.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Emily wakes up to your hair tickling her face and your lips on her neck.</p>
<p>“Merry Christmas, baby,” you whisper when she stirs.</p>
<p>Emily feels around a bit until her hand finds the back of your neck and she can pull you down for a proper kiss. “Merry Christmas,” she murmurs. She tries to tug you back down next to her, but you resist.</p>
<p>“Come on, let’s go open presents,” you say, tugging her in return.</p>
<p>She groans. “Can’t we stay in bed just a little longer? It’s so warm.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you want to know what your surprise is?” you remind her.</p>
<p>Emily tallies the pros and cons of leaving the bed in her mind, eventually settling on doing what you want. “Alright, alright.”</p>
<p>You grin and clap your hands together. “Yay!” Before she knows it, you’re already up and at the bedroom door.</p>
<p>“You go ahead; I’ll catch up,” Emily says with a yawn. She takes her time stretching, shaking off the sleepiness. She’d love to sleep in later but you’re so excited that she can’t find it in herself to say no. And of course she’s curious about your surprise.</p>
<p>When she wanders out to the living room, you’re waiting with a coffee mug that you press into her hands when she sits next to you. Emily takes a few sips—you’ve made it just the way she likes it. “Okay,” she says when she feels more awake. “Surprise me.”</p>
<p>You laugh, then go over to the tree. You retrieve an envelope from within the branches, which you then hand to her, looking nervous, but also excited. Her first thought is that it’s a gift card, but why would you be so excited about that? It would hardly be the first one you’ve given her.</p>
<p>The envelope itself is nothing special. It’s a pretty dark green, and you’ve written her name in your best handwriting on it in silver ink. Emily places her mug on the coffee table and slides her finger under the gold sticker keeping it sealed shut. Inside are some sheets of printer paper folded carefully. She straightens them out and it takes her a minute the recognize what’s on the first page.</p>
<p>It’s a plane ticket for January 1st, from D.C. to London. Emily furrows her brow. “I don’t get it,” she says. “I already have my return flight booked.”</p>
<p>“Look closer,” you prompt. You tap your finger on one of the lines of text and her eyes follow.</p>
<p>“That’s your name,” she realizes. “This ticket... it’s for you.”</p>
<p>“I found a job in London,” you start to explain. “A really great job. I’ve been looking for a few months, and last week I was offered the position. I had to ask Penelope for help to get a ticket on the same flight as yours on such short notice, and I think she may have exploited a few legal loopholes to do so, but we got it.”</p>
<p>Emily can’t focus on the papers in front of her. The text has turned blurry and it takes her a moment to realize that it’s because she’s tearing up. “I... you’re moving to London?” she whispers.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” you confirm softly. “I love you, Emily, and I don’t want to keep seeing you through a screen. I want to be able to touch you and kiss you. I want to be able to go see you at the end of a long day. I don’t have a place to live yet, though,” you add. “I figured I could just stay with you for a bit until I find one? As long as that’s okay.”</p>
<p>Emily clears her throat and wipes at her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she says, voice thick. “You’re not staying with me for a bit. You’re staying with me for good.”</p>
<p>She surges forward, pressing your back into the couch’s arm, kissing you passionately, tears still slipping down her face. It’s almost unbelievable to her, how much you love her. “I love you, too,” she says when you have to separate for air.</p>
<p>You catch the tears on her cheeks with your thumbs. “What was that you were saying last night about me being cruel?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’ll take that back,” she says. “Man, how are any of my presents for you supposed to match this?”</p>
<p>You laugh. “Well, you just immediately asked me to move in with you upon receiving this present. I think we’re even.”</p>
<p>Emily pulls you in close, wrapping her arms around you in an embrace. “Not to be extremely cheesy twice within twenty-four hours, but this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”</p>
<p>You settle your head on her shoulder. “Me, too.”</p>
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